To Help A Lady In Need
by The Mocking J
Summary: Emmy ponders over why the professor feels the need to protect her. (Takes place during The Last Spectre.)


_**[[Disclaimer: No, I don't own Professor Layton or Emmy or Luke. You can definitely keep Third Eye Jakes. *Shudders*. **_

_**This is just a little one-shot that takes place during **_**The Last Spectre**_**: Chapter 8: Face- to-Face with the Spectre**__** when the professor, Luke and Emmy get their first up close glimpse of Misthallery's mysterious monster before they are put under arrest by Jakes. Some of it is just Emmy's POV from the game... but there's a point when the screen blacks out and the professor wakes up in the interrogation room sounding quite disorientated. So, this is an idea of what could have happened. **_

_**Contains Layton/Emmy. Enjoy!]]**_

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**To Help a Lady in Need**

"...If I wait here, hopefully I can get a good look at the spectre. While I'm doing that I want you two to hide somewhere safe."

"Yeah, right!" Emmy retorted "I'm going to be right at your side, Professor! As your assistant, I'm not going to run and hide if you're in danger."

Luke piped up "Consider me your assistant too... Professor!"

The professor sighed. "I appreciate that, both of you. But Emmy, we spoke of this rule earlier..."

A shrewd half smirk flicked across the brunette's mouth. "We also spoke of exceptions to rules." She recalled their talk on the topic of 'dangerous situations' during the car ride to Misthallery. "And we need as many eyes on this thing as we can get!"

"That is sound logic. Fine," the professor conceded acquiescingly "However, if you are ever in any danger, promise me you will run for cover."

"Understood, Professor." _But not accepted _Emmy thought.

"You be careful too, Professor," Luke warned his new intellectual friend.

"Always. And now... we wait."

-0-

The plan was set.

Concealed in an alleyway opposite the gurgling canal, Professor Layton waited between two abandoned brick houses to catch a glimpse of the giant that plagued the town and struck fear into the hearts of its residents.

Tendrils of mist lingered over the water's surface (some poor unseeing chap could easily fall into the channel) and in the air, making the buildings appear faded. Yellow street lights lined the canal like will-o-the-wisps shimmering through the ghostly haze. Overall it gave the area a very ominous feel. For this reason the professor had insisted Luke stay within his sights but far enough so that he would not be harmed by the spectre. The boy was hiding in a wooden boat and he could easily jump onto the bank if he needed to escape.

Meanwhile, Emmy stood down the road near some trees. A symphony of crickets pierced the predawn silence with their droning wails, reminding her why she hated insects so much.

With a huff Emmy leaned her back against the spiked iron fence. Of course the professor had stationed her at the very end of the street where she would be safely out of the action. She understood why he was concerned about Luke—_ Heck, the kid might get squashed by the spectre!— _but _she_ was an adult.

Did the professor believe she was too scared to face the danger? Too..._weak? _No, that couldn't be right. Her employer had literally moved aside and watched while she kicked those thugs' butts earlier. He'd definitely acknowledged that she was a skilled fighter.

Why else would he want her out of the way? Professor Layton was far too polite say anything... but what if he was actually tired of her being around? Maybe her perky attitude prevented him from concentrating or something. Maybe he wanted to put some space between them. Maybe he didn't need a number one assistant after all.

Well, the professor would just have to _deal with it!_ She wasn't going anywhere (at least not yet...) and besides, she was being _paid_ to for her time here.

Suddenly it was as if someone had dropped a white film across Emmy's vision. She gasped "It's the fog..." The fog swept in out of nowhere, thick enough to cut with a knife. This was followed by the hauntingly shrill melody of a flute and a ground-shaking _thud_.

The spectre.

"I hear it, but I can't see anything!" Emmy gripped the cool metal bars and looked around when there were more _thuds_; louder than the first and creating stronger vibrations.

Then there was a huge _CRASH!—_the spectre must have been laying waste to the canal-street, destroying any foundations in its path. Or any _person_.

_Screw promises_. Emmy ran. She sprinted past the fence, past the trees, past street torches until she could see the row of houses that now resembled a bomb site. Dodging a mound of rubble, she called:

"Professor?! Are you OK?"

The fog was beginning to fade along with the eerie flute's music and the sound of monstrous footsteps. _Yes, she could just make out the outline of his top hat..._ Professor Layton was fine and sanding right outside the alley where they had left him.

Luke wasn't far behind. "Professor!"

"Emmy, Luke," the professor said with relief.

"You saw it, right?" Luke checked "You got a good look at the spectre?"

"Oh, yes," the professor nodded, touching the brim of his hat "I got a very good look. Emmy, Luke... the spectre is not at all what we had imagined." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "It appears to be—"

But before he could air his discoveries someone yelled "There they are! Get 'em, boys!" The corpulent form of Misthallery's Chief Constable Levin Jakes loomed from the dwindling fog towards the professor, Emmy and Luke.

"Chief Jakes!" the professor proclaimed.

Jakes shook a burly fist at them. "They're behind this whole spectre madness! They're responsible for destroying Misthallery!"

"That's _absurd_!" Luke protested.

Emmy stepped in front of the small boy, pushing him behind her. "No way!"

"You can deny it all the way to the station, missy!"

"My name is _Emmy_!"

Unlike the professor's assistant, Luke regarded Jakes anxiously and with the tiny shred of hopeful respect that he had left for the man who seemingly protected his home town. "Chief Jakes, you can't be serious!"

As if to refute Luke's statement several of Misthallery's blue uniformed police officers marched into the canal-street and surrounded the accused.

"Ungh!" the professor grunted as Jake's men attempted to shove the trio like an unruly herd of cattle.

Luke's arms were bent behind his back similarly to a struggling Emmy. "Let me go!" Luke cried.

The professor winced. _Was it truly necessary for the child to be treated so callously as if he were a dangerous criminal?_

Apparently Jakes thought it as such. "I warned ya, Layton! Keep yappin', and I'll slap you with resisting arrest too!" (Emmy continued resisting nonetheless.)

The professor concentrated keeping his voice level and reasoning as he was detained by a pair of officers. "Jakes, you know just as well as I do that we aren't the ones behind the spectre! The spectre isn't what you think!"

An image of the alleged monster with its lurid red "eyes", its extended shadowy limbs and demonic exterior filled the professor's mind. He was, it seemed, the only person to have seen the spectre from such a close perspective.

"Now, that's just sad, Layton. I thought a true gentleman always owns up to his crimes? Har har! _Take 'em away!"_ Jakes ordered.

"You can't do this!" Emmy's foot collided with the leg of one of her captors and he immediately released her to clutch at his sore shin. Emmy then landed a punch in the constable's stomach, cutting off his air supply.

The professor's voice adopted a warning tone. "Emmy, don't—"

"That's assault of a police officer," Jakes roared "Don't just stand there; take care of 'er!"

Three of Jakes' men who had been formerly standing on the edge of the disarray immediately charged for the aggressive woman, black batons at the ready.

"No, stop!" With nothing except the safety of his female assistant in mind, the professor freed himself from the officers' grasp and raced in front of Emmy. He threw his arms out to shield her from the men's attacks.

"Move it or lose it, Layton!"

"Jakes, this is madness. Call off your force immediately!"

"That missy over there needs to be taught a lesson in respect!"

Emmy scowled at their assailants from behind the professor's shoulder. "I'm not afraid of them, Professor!" As if to prove her point she aimed a kick at one of the constables approaching from the side.

"That does it..." Jakes decided "Take 'em both out then!"

The police men advanced again and gave the professor one final chance to move aside. When the archaeologist refused he was met with a hard blow to the head from one of their batons. The professor's top hat went flying as he fell to the broken cobblestone pavement.

"PROFESSOR!" Luke whimpered, wriggling against the officer who held him.

"Professor?" Emmy shouted. Their assailants forgotten, she crouched besides him and shook his shoulder "_Professor, answer me_!"

The officer who had knocked the professor unconscious stared at his black baton as if it had grown a pair of fangs. He then muttered a sincere apology (He apparently _"didn't know his own strength_") and suggested that they could check the professor's health was still in order back at the station.

"No, just leave us alone!" Emmy growled like a wolf when two of the policemen tried to pick up the professor.

Luke assured her in a tremulous voice "L-Let's just go, Emmy. The quicker we help the professor, the better. And maybe they'll let me call my dad..." At the mention of Luke's father— a.k.a. Misthallery's mayor— the officer immediately released him.

Emmy sighed, Luke was right (as usual); they needed to help the professor. She allowed the officers to haul the professor off the ground and carry him to the police station.

"We're not going to have any more problems from you now, are we?" Jakes asked Emmy precariously "You'll come quietly."

Emmy glared at him but she nodded. They had the professor now... there was no point in fighting anymore. She located his discarded top hat on the floor and dusted it off before trailing after them with Luke.

-0-

As soon as they arrived at Jake's headquarters, they were lead into a low ceilinged room with dank flickering lights. There was a table and chairs that looked as if they were used for interrogations. The professor was deposited into an uncomfortable seat and left with an ice pack for his forehead. The constable responsible for his injury insisted on calling a doctor. However, Jakes wouldn't allow it.

Emmy sat by the professor's side and pressed the ice pack over his bump. The blow to his head hadn't been that severe, just enough to stun him for a little while.

She sighed when he started to stir "Oh, Professor...You know I could've beaten all three of them, so why did you have to get involved?"

"It is...the duty of every gentleman... to help a lady in need," the professor muttered in a rather dazed fashion.

"Yes," she whispered, planting a quick kiss on his bruise "That's what I thought."

Emmy returned the top hat to its rightful position above the professor's head (she had noticed he had most endearing messy light brown hair...) as Luke was kicked into the room.

"They won't even let me ring my dad," Luke puffed out his cheeks in frustration. Then he regarded the professor with concern. "How is he?"

"He'll be alright..." Emmy said gently. She was certain that nothing can stop Professor Layton.

And obviously, Jakes chose that exact moment to come barging into the interrogation room with a mug of coffee in his hand. "_Have a nice nappie?"_

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_**[[That's it, folks!**_

_**I was thinking about writing a special spooky Layton Halloween oneshot for next week. If I don't get it done, well... This is kind of spooky, right? With the spectre and the fog and all that...**_

_**I think everyone should do their own Layton Halloween oneshot! Wouldn't that be awesome? **_

_**REVIEW AND I'LL MAKE THE HALLOWEEN ONESHOT EXTRA SPECIAL!**_

_**...**_

_**By the way, I posted a load of new stories idea on my profile. If you're interested take my POLL and tell me which one you like the most :)]]**_


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